


Hitsuzen

by banditess



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Wish Fulfillment, xxxHolic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:54:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21675565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banditess/pseuds/banditess
Summary: Noctis is lonely, and in need of a new friend. Perhaps wish-granter extraordinaire Ardyn Izunia can help him with that -- for a price.AKA - Let's pretend that Ardyn is Yuuko from xxxHolic and see what happens.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	Hitsuzen

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is dedicated to [Deb](https://twitter.com/alotlikeawesome?lang=en), whose artwork completely inspired my writing of this, specifically her GORGEOUS oiran Ardyns which you can find [here](https://twitter.com/alotlikeawesome/status/1093179643388080129?s=20) and [here](https://twitter.com/alotlikeawesome/status/1150782583984160774?s=20). Please check out her art and show her some support! ♥
> 
> Thanks as always for reading!

Noctis hiked the straps of his schoolbag higher up onto his shoulder, squeezing the body of the bag under his arm to give himself a free hand. He loosened his striped necktie, undid the top button of his shirt, and immediately exhaled with relief. It had reached that awkward in-between season, where it was too hot for his winter uniform, but it wasn’t yet time to switch to his spring-slash-summer one. In the meantime, he simply alternated between being tolerably warm and boiling alive.  
  
He was attending an ordinary school and wearing an everyday school uniform because his father wanted him to have a “normal,” civilian life -- and because Noctis himself chafed at living under the thumb of royal surveillance. So he now had an apartment in town, instead of staying at the Citadel, and worked a part-time job to pay for that apartment. Today, he had even decided to walk home from school, refusing the security detail of Crownsguard someone (probably Uncle Clarus) had sent to pick him up. Just a regular teenager doing regular teenage things.  
  
Noctis didn't mind the arrangement -- in fact, he relished his independence. But he had to admit it was a little lonely; he had traded the hustle and bustle and the constant presence of retainers and guards in the Citadel for the relative isolation and anonymity of the city. Plus, despite all his efforts to appear normal, it didn’t change the fact that all anyone ever saw when they looked at him was _Prince_ Noctis. People sometimes told him he was distant, or aloof -- but it wasn’t like he _wanted_ to be that way. It was just so difficult _not_ to be when the people around you were either scared to talk to you, or only talking to you because they were trying to get something out of you.  
  
He wasn’t completely alone, though -- he still had Gladio and Ignis, his oldest and truest friends. Unfortunately, they didn’t spend as much time together now that he had moved out of the Citadel; they were often too busy with their own duties to come see him in town. Noctis couldn’t blame them for that, but he did sometimes feel guilty when he texted them to ask if they wanted to hang out.  
  
And so he did his best to carry on with his civilian life, though some nights his loneliness threatened to swallow him whole. Maybe it was selfish of him...but he wished he had a friend who _wasn't_ part of his "royal" world. Someone who could come over whenever they wanted and didn't have obligations to king and country to get in the way.  
  
Maybe someone like the blond guy Noct had been stealing glances at lately. They were in the same grade; they’d even been in the same class a few times. He seemed nice enough. It was difficult to tell though, since the guy was _painfully_ shy -- and it wasn’t like Noct wasn’t terribly outgoing himself. Every time Noctis saw him recently, he thought he might have finally gotten the confidence to start a conversation...but then he would lose his nerve.  
  
Noct sighed at the thought. He was embarrassed for himself, honestly. Maybe one of them would work up the courage to speak to the other, eventually.  
  
He had been concentrating so much on his shirt, and on the unsettling tickle of sweat dripping down his back, that he hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings. As he looked up to keep moving, he instead came to a stop. He’d been born in Insomnia and lived in the city his whole life, knew its streets and shortcuts like the back of his hand. Or at least, he thought he did. He must have taken a wrong turn, because he had been down this road a hundred times before -- and this wasn't how it usually looked. Something had changed.  
  
Had there always been an empty lot between those two office buildings?  
  
As he drew closer, it became clear that it was not, in fact, truly an empty lot, but a house hidden behind a very tall fence. He moved closer still, and the large sign hanging from the very tall fence became legible -- though just barely, as the sign was worn with age, its paint faded and dusty. Noctis squinted to read the stylized calligraphy:  
  
_Izunia’s Exotics Emporium  
_ _Vendor of Rarities, Curiosities  
_ _ & Whatever Your Heart Desires  
  
_ “What, so like, an antique shop?” Noctis thought aloud. “Okay then…”  
  
He shrugged and turned around to walk away. What did he need with an antique shop? He was the Prince of a two-millennia-old dynasty -- if he wanted _old stuff_ , he'd just _go home_.  
  
Noct hadn't even gotten half a block away before he felt a tugging in his chest. He tried to keep walking home, but the tugging became a pulling. Then, a yanking. The further he got from the shop, the harder and more insistent it grew. He stopped with a sigh.  
  
He had to admit he was _kind of_ curious about the shop. It did just appear out of nowhere -- didn’t it?  
  
Noct turned around and made his way back. This time, he looked beyond the fence, where he saw a smooth cobblestone path leading through a small yard. Noct walked along it slowly, passing by a koi pond and a fountain -- one of those cheeky ones where a chubby angel looks you in the eye as it pees into the water -- before arriving at what appeared to be a very traditional sliding front door. It was inlaid with panels of heavily frosted glass, and adorned with an elaborate stained-glass fresco above. Noct couldn’t be totally certain since it wasn't well-lit from where he stood, but by the horns and the flames, he was _pretty_ sure the fresco was supposed to depict the Infernian. He swallowed nervously.  
  
Noctis reached out to press the doorbell, but at the moment he did so, the door slid open. No one was behind it.  
  
“This is fine,” Noct said to himself as he stared into the darkness beyond the doorway. Obviously the heat was getting to him. He’d just go in, cool off, and be on his way.  
  
He entered the shop, expecting to be surrounded by knickknacks and relics of the past. Instead, it was as though he had intruded on someone's home. An elaborate display of bright flowers stood in a corner to welcome guests. To the side was a small rack for shoes. It seemed someone was home -- a pair of black-lacquered _geta_ with magenta straps sat in the foyer, facing towards the door. Noct marveled not just at how large they were, but how _fantastically tall_ they were. The platforms must have come up above his ankles, at least. Who could possibly walk in those  
  
Noct slipped out of his own shoes, placing them on the rack, and stepped into the hall. A faint, sweet smell was coming from further in. Intoxicated, and with no other direction to go, he followed the scent until he saw a dim light. A thin cloud of wispy smoke floated from a break in the rice-paper wall. He cautiously peeked into the room, his eyes following the trail of smoke from the ceiling to its source.  
  
“Well, well. What have we here,” a sultry voice asked. The sound was like silk against Noct's skin.  
  
Noct’s eyes went wide. When he had seen the _geta_ in the foyer, he’d had no idea what to expect their owner might look like. But even without any idea…this was still not what he expected. He was pretty sure he couldn’t have imagined this person in any of his wildest dreams.  
  
He was the most beautiful man Noct had ever seen -- like an ethereal painting come to life. His long body was laid out on a velvet chaise longue as though he had been poured onto it. One arm he slung lazily over the back of the chaise, while the other held a long, thin pipe of wood and brass between his fingers, his nails painted a stunning violet. His ruddy hair was pulled back, tied up and fastened with a number of elaborate hairpins and a large decorative gold comb in the center. His cheeks had been brushed with a hint of rouge, and his lips were painted a soft pink to match.  
  
Noct’s eyes followed the curve of the man’s jaw, to his long neck, and along his collar. He wore two layers of robes, a white inner layer, then a patterned top layer. Each portion of the robe was a different color and pattern: a bold teal along the collar, alternating stripes of solid black and a purple floral pattern down the front panel, and dark maroon sleeves nearly the color of his hair. The intricate design on the robe’s sleeves looked strangely reminiscent of the Lucian crest -- but surely that was just a trick of the light? A wide, pale blue sash tied at the front held the robe together. Its ends hung off of the side of the chaise longue in much the same manner as the man’s bare foot -- toes painted violet, to match his hands -- dangling carelessly off of the edge.  
  
The man took another drag from his pipe and blew the smoke to the ceiling.  
  
“My, but you're just a boy. Not even old enough to drive. You probably haven't even properly _kissed_ anyone yet.” Noct began to protest, but the man continued, “Yet here you are in my shop, _Prince Noctis_. Oh, don't look so surprised. How could I _not_ know the face of Lucis’ very own Crown Prince?”  
  
_His_ shop. So he _was_ the owner. Noct recalled the sign on the fence: _Izunia’s Exotics Emporium._ He cleared his throat, pulling himself together enough to speak.  
  
“I take it you’re Izunia?”  
  
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highness. Ardyn Izunia, at your humble service.” He did not stand, or kneel -- only bowed his head in perfunctory deference.  
  
“So, um, Mr. Izunia--”  
  
“ _Oh_ , please, _do_ call me Ardyn. I’m not one to stand on ceremony.”  
  
“Oh. Sure. Ardyn, then.” Noct scratched his head, feeling more awkward by the second. “What’s with your shop? Why isn’t there anything in it?”  
  
That got a chuckle out of Ardyn, a low, playful rumble of a sound. Noctis felt his cheeks flush red-hot. He hadn’t thought it was a silly question -- but why did he care what this man thought of his questions, anyway?  
  
“Well, my dear, this is not a shop where people come to purchase _things_. At least not directly, in most cases.” Ardyn slowly pulled himself upright, one side of his robe beginning to slip down his shoulder. “Only _certain people_ can even _see_ the shop, much less enter it. So I must say, I’m _quite_ interested in how you -- Prince Noctis -- came to be here.”  
  
Noct collected his thoughts before speaking. “I don’t know. I was walking home, it was hot, I looked up and I was here. I tried to go home but…I just needed to know what was in here.”  
  
“Indeed.” A smirk pulled at Ardyn’s lips. “Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats. Tell me, Noct -- may I call you Noct? -- were you contemplating anything in particular on your way home this afternoon?”  
  
He pursed his lips as he tried to remember. “Not that I can think of?”  
  
“Truly?” Ardyn rose from the chaise, allowing Noctis to see his full height. The man was like a _tree_ .  
  
“Um,” Noct stammered as Ardyn moved towards him. Imagining him now in the tall _geta_ was… _highly_ distracting. “I guess I was just thinking that...it’d be nice to make a new friend.”  
  
"Is that all?" Ardyn leaned his head to the side. He circled Noct, taking the measure of him. "The requests I field are normally more...complex."  
  
"I dunno what more you want from me. You asked what I was thinking, so I told you." Noct shrugged, defenses kicking in as Ardyn _stalked_ around him. "But can you really do that? Make someone be friends with me?"  
  
"For the right price, I can do _anything_ , dear." Ardyn's smile was predatory, dangerous -- the look of a hunter closing in.  
  
"Well, I mean -- I _am_ the Prince of Lucis, so money isn't really an object. Dad would probably be pissed, though."  
  
The dangling charms and pearls on Ardyn's hairpins chimed as he tossed his head back in laughter. "Oh, _Noct_ , my services are worth much more than mere trinkets like your _common currency_. I require something of _true_ value."  
  
“Like what?” Noctis rubbed his chin, considering the sum of his worldly possessions.  
  
“To change the heart of another person, potentially against their will? The cost is high, my dear Prince. And I must warn you -- such transactions rarely end well. Are you certain you wish to know?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m sure. Hit me with it.”  
  
“Alright,” said Ardyn in a cautionary sing-song. “But remember, Your Highness: you _wanted_ to know.”  
  
He leaned over slowly, cupping his hand to Noct’s ear. He whispered something, just a short phrase, and Noct’s eyes went wide.  
  
“Well, Prince Noctis? What do you say? Is my price _fair_? Do we have a deal?”  
  
Noctis chewed his lip. He thought about every night he had spent alone in his apartment, playing games by himself. Or every time Ignis texted him, clearly worried that he was withdrawing too much. And every time he thought he had made a friend, only to learn they had some ulterior motive…  
  
He nodded, the certainty of his gesture belying his nerves. “It’s a deal.”  
  
“Wonderful! I am _so_ pleased to finally have a reason to do business with the Royal Family.”   
  
What was Noct getting himself into? He looked up, his eyes almost automatically roaming along the open neckline of Ardyn’s robe, then down to the elaborate tie at his waist. As he began to raise his eyes, Noct suddenly found himself with a faceful of perfumed smoke. He coughed and sputtered as Ardyn shushed him, putting a painted finger to his lips. He took Noct’s chin in his hand, thumb on his lower lip, urging his mouth open.  
  
“There, there, Your Highness -- this is just to help you relax.”  
  
Ardyn took another drag from his pipe. Leaning over, he slowly exhaled, and the smoke floated into Noct’s open mouth.  
  
This time, Noctis was prepared. He inhaled as the smoke came towards him -- and only coughed a little bit. Some younger members of the Glaive occasionally tried to offer him cigarettes, but Iggy and Gladio always gave him these _looks_. He always had to be on his best behavior, the Crown Prince of Lucis.  
  
Maybe he could be someone else, just for tonight.  
  
His body was beginning to feel warmer than it had been -- which was saying a lot, considering the temperature outdoors -- and his vision was starting to swim. He looked at Ardyn helplessly as his legs trembled, hoping for some indication of what he should do.  
  
Ardyn chuckled softly, clearly amused by the entire situation. "This certainly is a night of _firsts_ for you, isn't it, Your Highness? Come along then."  
  
Noct took one step, attempting to walk -- but Ardyn swooped in to save him from himself, just as his knees began to buckle beneath him. The tall man scooped him up from the ground, like a damsel in distress, and carried him off down the darkened hall. Ardyn paused when they came to a sliding door, painted brilliant gold with a motif of red sylleblossoms.  
  
Noct wasn't sure how they would proceed; Ardyn's hands being occupied and Noct himself unable to do anything but watch -- and watch he did, as the painted door slid open before them. Neither of them had touched anything. Maybe there was a switch in the floor.  
  
That had to be it. Because only people in the Royal Line of Lucis could use magic. Right?  
  
Even as woozy as he was feeling, it took him no time at all to recognize the large four-posted structure in the middle of the room as a bed. As an expert sleeper, he would know one anywhere. Ardyn deposited him upon it. Noctis felt himself sink into the mattress. He watched Ardyn put his pipe down by the bedside and light a stick of incense in its stead. The earthy scent it gave off reminded him of the smell of grass after a storm.  
  
He closed his eyes for but a moment, and felt a weight above him. Hands slid into his hands. They guided his arms up further up the bed, above his head, and pinned them into place.  
  
Suddenly, Ardyn's voice was in Noct's ear again.  
  
"Last chance to walk away, Your Highness," he said. "Ah, but then you wouldn't get your wish, now would you?"  
  
Noct squirmed a bit at the ticklish feeling of Ardyn's breath, but he groaned at the thought of Ardyn stopping any part of what he was doing. He _needed_ this, and he'd be _damned_ if he gave up now.  
  
" _Keep going_." Noctis gasped into the air beside them.  
  
Ardyn pulled back, contemplating Noct, his amber eyes glowing in the soft candlelight of the room. An ambiguous smile played on his face. "Your wish is my command."

\--~--

The Prince of Lucis awoke feeling mildly uncomfortable. His bed felt much harder than usual, and it seemed he had kicked off his blankets in his sleep -- though he’d been sweating earlier in the day, now he was a little chilly. He rubbed his eyes and felt around beside him to pull his sheets over himself, but instead his fingers ran over a gritty texture. He touched it again. Was there a rock in his bed? Noct opened his eyes and sat up.  
  
Surely he was still asleep -- he had had some strange dreams before, but this took the cake. He was alone in the dark, but not in his bed. Not even in his apartment. He was _outside_ , laying on the ground, surrounded by stones and wildgrass. And he was _naked_. Gods’ sakes, no wonder he was cold, where the hell were his clothes!  
  
Scanning the horizon like early man scouting for predators, Noctis noted his surroundings: a long wooden fence in front of him, and two office buildings on either side of him. His clothing lay in a pile part-way between himself and the fence. He scurried to it on all fours like a mouse in the dark.  
  
It wasn’t until he was putting on his shirt that he understood that he was not in a dream, and recalled _why_ he had woken up in a field in the middle of the night. But, given that the house had disappeared...he guessed that either Ardyn had served his purpose, or the entire thing had been one long heat-induced fever dream. He pulled his pants on, shoved his feet into his shoes, grabbed his bag and walked his aching body home.  
  
As he fell into his soft bed, he wondered to himself: _What if it had been real? What if it really worked? Would my sacrifice have been worth it?_

\--~--

Noctis was exhausted the next morning, but he somehow made it to school on time, as befits the Prince. Stopping at the front lockers, he put his outdoor shoes in and pulled his school shoes out. Something sharp in his pants pocket stuck his leg as he moved to put his shoes on, forcing him to make a very undignified noise that he hoped no one else heard. Gingerly, he put his hand into his pocket to fish out the offending item.  
  
He could not have possibly expected what he found: an elaborate brass hairpin with pearls dangling from it. He knew this hairpin. But it couldn’t be...could it? Noct shook his head in confusion as he finished putting on his shoes. He shut his locker with a quiet _click_ .  
  
As he looked up from his locker, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the blond guy from his grade.  
  
“Oh!” yelped the blond guy. “Um. Hey there, Prince Noctis.”  
  
“Just Noctis is fine,” he said, his heart fluttering. Was this actually happening?  
  
“Really?” Noct could see him swallow nervously. “Wow. I can’t believe the Prince just told me to call him by his name.”  
  
“And what’s yours?”  
  
“What’s my what?”  
  
“Your _name_.”  
  
“Ohh.” He blushed behind his freckles. “I’m Prompto. It’s nice to meetcha. Hey, a-are you going to class? I mean, of course you are -- what I mean is, do you want to walk to class with me?”  
  
Noctis clutched the hairpin tightly in his hand. He smiled lightly down at it. Maybe it was just a coincidence, and Prompto just happened to choose this day to work up the courage to speak to him...but then again…  
  
Maybe his sacrifice had been worth it after all.  
  
“Yeah, sure -- let’s go.”


End file.
